THERE was plenty of excitement and happy banter at the East London Airport yesterday when members of the Good Hope Cricket Club in King William’s Town, left for Pretoria to represent Border at the Momentum National Club Championships, which starts today.
Good Hope have been thrown in at the deep end in their opening match against Free State University in the six-day tournament as the Bloemfontein team includes a number of players who regularly represent their province.
Altogether 12 teams split into two sections will participate and each team represents a Cricket SA affiliate. Good Hope have been placed in Section One and will play five matches from today to Friday. They are hopeful their performances will take them through to Saturday’s final.
The defending champions Tuks, from Northerns, who are the host province and last year’s runner-up, Stellenbosch University (Boland), have been drawn in the same Section Two, and clash on the fourth day in what promises to be a needle match. The two teams heading each section will contest the final at the SuperSport stadium in Centurion.
Good Hope has a sprinkling of experienced players in their squad of 13, including Border captain Abongile Sodumo, a hard-hitting batsman, Border and Warriors opening batsman, Vuyisa Makhaphela, who is an attacking batsman with a vast array of strokes. Their player-coach Thembela Mbada was recently chosen for the SA Rural squad. There is Border allrounder Somila Seyibokwe, Border batsman Cebo Tshiki and fast bowler Yanda “Lucky” Pangabantu. They have a promising young off-spinner in Luyanda Fojela, while Lazolo Masingatha is an experienced batsman who represented Border a couple of seasons ago. Most of the squad play in the CSA Rural competition and the experience gained there will stand them in good stead.
“I am very proud of the boys and we are all fit and ready for the Club Champs,” said player-coach Mbada, one of the stars of the team. “We had a warm-up match against Fort Hare the other day which we won, and I feel the team is experienced enough to do well.”
Sodumo, too, is cautiously confident that Good Hope will do themselves proud. “It’s a big chance for the club. We’re not overly worried about the faster pitches up there, and each member of the team knows exactly what they have to do,” he said.
There is much at stake for the top teams in the competition. The winner receives R50000, with R20000 going to the runner-up. The player of the tournament will receive a weekend getaway for two anywhere in South Africa, including flights, accommodation and car hire while the best batsman and the best bowler will each receive R5000.
Fixtures: Today: v Free State University (Free State).
Tomorrow: v Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (EP).
Wednesday: v St Patrick’s College (Griqualand West).
Thursday: v Pukke (NW).
Friday: v Northerns, Benoni (Easterns).
Saturday: Final.
Good Hope squad: Luyanda Fojela, Lwando Keke, Lazola Masingatha, Vuyisa Makhaphela, Mihlali Mbada, Thembela Mbada (player-coach, captain), Luyanda Mpande, Akhona Ngwana, Somila Seyibokwe, Sinalo Sidinana, Abongile Sodumo, Lucky Pangabantu, Cebo Tshiki.
Manager: Msimelelo Stokhwe.
Good Hope to push the boundaries for Border
Good Hope have been thrown in at the deep end in their opening match against Free State University in the six-day tournament as the Bloemfontein team includes a number of players who regularly represent their province.
Altogether 12 teams split into two sections will participate and each team represents a Cricket SA affiliate. Good Hope have been placed in Section One and will play five matches from today to Friday. They are hopeful their performances will take them through to Saturday’s final.
The defending champions Tuks, from Northerns, who are the host province and last year’s runner-up, Stellenbosch University (Boland), have been drawn in the same Section Two, and clash on the fourth day in what promises to be a needle match. The two teams heading each section will contest the final at the SuperSport stadium in Centurion.
Good Hope has a sprinkling of experienced players in their squad of 13, including Border captain Abongile Sodumo, a hard-hitting batsman, Border and Warriors opening batsman, Vuyisa Makhaphela, who is an attacking batsman with a vast array of strokes. Their player-coach Thembela Mbada was recently chosen for the SA Rural squad. There is Border allrounder Somila Seyibokwe, Border batsman Cebo Tshiki and fast bowler Yanda “Lucky” Pangabantu. They have a promising young off-spinner in Luyanda Fojela, while Lazolo Masingatha is an experienced batsman who represented Border a couple of seasons ago. Most of the squad play in the CSA Rural competition and the experience gained there will stand them in good stead.
“I am very proud of the boys and we are all fit and ready for the Club Champs,” said player-coach Mbada, one of the stars of the team. “We had a warm-up match against Fort Hare the other day which we won, and I feel the team is experienced enough to do well.”
Sodumo, too, is cautiously confident that Good Hope will do themselves proud. “It’s a big chance for the club. We’re not overly worried about the faster pitches up there, and each member of the team knows exactly what they have to do,” he said.
There is much at stake for the top teams in the competition. The winner receives R50000, with R20000 going to the runner-up. The player of the tournament will receive a weekend getaway for two anywhere in South Africa, including flights, accommodation and car hire while the best batsman and the best bowler will each receive R5000.
Fixtures: Today: v Free State University (Free State).
Tomorrow: v Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (EP).
Wednesday: v St Patrick’s College (Griqualand West).
Thursday: v Pukke (NW).
Friday: v Northerns, Benoni (Easterns).
Saturday: Final.
Good Hope squad: Luyanda Fojela, Lwando Keke, Lazola Masingatha, Vuyisa Makhaphela, Mihlali Mbada, Thembela Mbada (player-coach, captain), Luyanda Mpande, Akhona Ngwana, Somila Seyibokwe, Sinalo Sidinana, Abongile Sodumo, Lucky Pangabantu, Cebo Tshiki.
Manager: Msimelelo Stokhwe.
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